1 Imilando 17
1 UDavida esehlezi esigodlweni sakhe wasesithi kuNathani umphrofethi, “Uyabona, mina ngihlezi esigodlweni esakhiwa ngomsedari, kodwa ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo lingaphansi kwethente.”
Now when David was living in his house, he said to the prophet Nathan: “Behold, I live in a house of cedar. But the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under tent skins.”
2 UNathani wathi kuDavida, “Konke okusengqondweni yakho, kwenze, ngoba uNkulunkulu ulawe.”
And Nathan said to David: “Do all that is in your heart. For God is with you.”
3 Ngalobobusuku ilizwi likaNkulunkulu leza kuNathani, lisithi:
And yet, that night the word of God came to Nathan, saying:
4 “Hamba uyetshela inceku yami uDavida uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: Ayisuwe ozangakhela indlu yokuhlala kuyo.
“Go, and speak to my servant David: Thus says the Lord: You shall not build a house for me as a dwelling place.
5 Angikahlali endlini kusukela mhla ngakhulula abako-Israyeli eGibhithe kuze kube lamuhla. Sengibhode ngisuka kulelithente ngaya kuleliyana, ngisuka endaweni ethile yokuhlala ngisiya kweyinye.
For I have not stayed in a house from the time when I led out Israel, even to this day. Instead, I have been continually changing places, in a tabernacle and tent,
6 Konke lapho engihambe khona labako-Israyeli, kambe kukhona lapho engike ngathi kubakhokheli babo engabalaya ukuthi beluse abantu bami, “Kungani lingangakhelanga indlu yemisedari na?”’
dwelling with all of Israel. When did I ever speak to any one at all, among the judges of Israel whom I placed in charge so that they might pasture my people, saying: ‘Why have you not built a house of cedar for me?’
7 Ngakho tshela inceku yami uDavida ukuthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo uSomandla: Ngakuthatha emadlelweni ekweluseni izimvu, ukuze ube ngumbusi wabantu bami abako-Israyeli.
And so, now you shall say this to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you when you were following the flock in the pastures, so that you would be the leader of my people Israel.
8 Ngibe ngilawe lapho obuhamba khona, ngizinqobile zonke izitha zakho phambi kwakho. Ngalokho ibizo lakho ngizalenza libe lodumo olufana lamabizo amadoda adume kakhulu emhlabeni.
And I have been with you wherever you have gone. And I have slain all your enemies before you, and I have made a name for you like one of the great ones who are celebrated upon the earth.
9 Njalo ngizalungisela abantu bami bako-Israyeli indawo engeyabo ngibafake khona labo babe lekhaya labo lapho abangayikuhlutshwa khona. Abantu abagangileyo abasayikubancindezela futhi, njengalokhu abakwenza kuqala
And I have given a place to my people Israel. They shall be planted, and they shall live in it, and they shall no longer be moved. Neither shall the sons of iniquity wear them away, as in the beginning,
10 lalokhu asebephikelele ukukwenza kusukela esikhathini engamisa ngaso abakhokheli ebantwini bami u-Israyeli. Ngizazinqoba zonke izitha zakho. Ngiyaqinisa kuwe ukuthi uThixo uzakwakhela indlu:
from the days when I gave judges to my people Israel, and I humbled all your enemies. Therefore, I announce to you that the Lord will build a house for you.
11 Kuzakuthi nxa insuku zakho seziphelile ususiya kubokhokho bakho, ngizakwenza inzalo yakho ithathe isikhundla sakho, omunye wamadodana akho, njalo ngizawuqinisa umbuso wakhe.
And when you will have completed your days, so that you go to your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall be from your sons. And I will establish his kingdom.
12 Lowo nguye ozangakhela indlu yami, ngakho ngizamisa isihlalo sombuso wakhe kuze kube nininini.
He shall build a house for me, and I will make firm his throne, even unto eternity.
13 Ngizakuba nguyise, yena abe yindodana yami. Angiyikususa uthando lwami kuye, njengalokhu engakwenza kulowo owakwandulelayo.
I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. And I will not take away my mercy from him, as I took it away from the one who was before you.
14 Ngizambeka yena endlini yami lasembusweni wami kuze kube nininini, lombuso wakhe uzakuma kokuphela.’”
And I will station him in my house and in my kingdom, even forever. And his throne will be very firm, in perpetuity.”
15 UNathani wabikela uDavida amazwi wonke esambulelo.
According to all these words, and according to this entire vision, so did Nathan speak to David.
16 Ngakho inkosi uDavida wangena wahlala phambi kukaThixo, wasesithi, “Ngingubani mina, awu Thixo Nkulunkulu wami, bayini abendlu yami, lokho okwenze waze wangibeka kulesi isimo?
And when king David had departed, and had sat down before the Lord, he said: “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you would grant such things to me?
17 Kanti njalonje lakho kubuye kukhanye kungathi kakwenelanga emehlweni akho, Oh Nkulunkulu, usukhulume ngelizayo ngendlu yenceku yakho. Ungiphethe Nkulunkulu wami, awu Thixo Nkulunkulu wami, kungathi ngingomunye wabaphakemeyo kakhulu.
But even this has seemed little in your sight, and therefore you have also spoken about the house of your servant even for the future. And you have made me a spectacle above all men, O Lord God.
18 Kambe kuyini okunye uDavida angakutsho kuwe ngokuhlonipha okwenze encekwini yakho? Ngoba wena uyayazi inceku yakho,
What more can David add, since you have so glorified your servant, and have known him?
19 Oh Thixo. Ngenxa yenceku yakho, njalo langentando yakho, uyenzile into le enkulu, waziveza obala lezizithembiso ezinkulu kangaka.
O Lord, because of your servant, in accord with your own heart, you have brought about all this magnificence, and you have willed all these great things to be known.
20 Kakho ofanana lawe, Oh Thixo, njalo kakho omunye uNkulunkulu kodwa nguwe kuphela, njengoba sesizwile ngezethu indlebe.
O Lord, there is no one like you. And there is no other God apart from you, out of all whom we have heard about with our ears.
21 Njalo ngubani ongafanana labantu bakho bako-Israyeli esiyiso sodwa isizwe emhlabeni esiloNkulunkulu owayazikhululela abantu, lokuzenzela ibizo, lokwenza imimangaliso enzima ngokuxotsha izizwe phambi kwabantu bakho, owabakhulula eGibhithe?
For what other single nation upon earth is like your people Israel, to whom God reached out, so that he might free them, and might make a people for himself, and by his greatness and terribleness cast out the nations before the face of those whom he had freed from Egypt?
22 Wabenza abantu bakho u-Israyeli baba ngabantu bakho kuze kube nini lanini, njalo wena, Thixo, usunguNkulunkulu wabo.
And you have set your people Israel to be your people, even unto eternity. And you, O Lord, have become their God.
23 Lakhathesi, Thixo akuthi lesosithembiso owasenza encekwini yakho labendlu yayo sigcwaliseke kuze kube nininini. Yenza njengokuthembisa kwakho,
Now therefore, O Lord, let the word that you have spoken to your servant, and over his house, be confirmed in perpetuity, and do just as you have spoken.
24 kuze kubonakale ukuthi ibizo lakho lizaphakanyiswa kuze kube nininini. Ngakho abantu bazakuthi, ‘UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ngoka-Israyeli uNkulunkulu!’ Kuthi indlu yenceku yakho imiswe phambi kwakho.
And may your name remain and be magnified even for all time. And let it be said: ‘The Lord of hosts is the God of Israel. And the house of his servant David remains forever before him.’
25 Wena Nkulunkulu wami ukuveze obala encekwini yakho ukuthi uzayakhela indlu. Ngalokho inceku yakho isithole isibindi sokukhuleka kuwe.
For you, O Lord my God, have revealed to the ear of your servant that you will build a house for him. And therefore your servant has found faith so that he might pray before you.
26 Oh Thixo, unguNkulunkulu wena! Usuthembise lezizinto ezinhle encekwini yakho.
Now then, O Lord, you are God. And you have spoken to your servant such great benefits.
27 Ngakho kukuthokozisile ukubusisa indlu yenceku yakho, ukuthi ibe khona phambi kwakho kuze kube nininini ebusweni bakho; ngoba wena, Oh Thixo, uyibusisile, njalo izabusiswa nini lanini.”
And you have begun to bless the house of your servant, so that it may be always before you. For since it is you who is blessing, O Lord, it shall be blessed forever.”
